Deliberations, Chapter Two

“Ah…I sorta think that’s a separate issue, Neet,” Max began tactfully.

“Is it, Max?” Amy inquired. “I happen to be with Neetra on this one. Who’s to say what strategies Gala’s prepared to use to undermine us, or to win others to her side? There’s no reason to suppose she’s going to play this the way The Four Heroes are best used to.”

“What Amy means, Joe, is you’ve always been great at battling villains and saving the universe,” Carmilla went on, “but you might not be ready for all the ways a woman has of getting to you. You’re still young, you see, and there are – well – things you haven’t experienced yet…”

An awkward silence greeted these words, during which Joe wondered anxiously just how much Neetra had confided in her big sister about the previous day’s events. Degris broke in, loud and cheerful:

“Hey, I’ll have you know that back in the day, we were quite the pair of ladies’ men! You lot don’t have a single trick we don’t know! In fact, I remember this one time in The Chamber, when we were twelve...”

Joe put his hand on one of Degris’s four arms. “That truly would be a separate issue, my friend,” said he, then resumed to the company at large: “If Gala is our enemy, she will wish to sow dissension among us. Let us not allow this to happen. I will speak to her today, Dylan, and be assured I shall do as you recommend.”

“Sounds like a plan,” said Bret. “As for the rest of us, it’s a full-scale search. Every hand available, and every means at our disposal. We need a live Dimension Borg robot to lead us to the genuine article, and that means either the head that’s in the hands of Solenoid and his crew, or any other damaged unit left behind in Nottingham after the war. Those that were trapped in the Ring of Fire will have been wiped out when Harbin levelled the place, unfortunately, but that’s not to say there aren’t any more. Dylan, Phoenix, what’s the latest on that?”

“It ’as been a dead zone for weeks, mon brave,” Phoenix replied grimly. “Ze scanners ’ave yielded no trace of functioning Dimension Borg robots, and nor ’as Dylan’s telepathy been able to locate ze psychic signatures of our six scoundrels. Zat is disturbing, in more ways zan one.”

“Even combining their powers, those wiseguys don’t have what it takes to hide from The Four Heroes this long,” Dylan explained. “That, and the total disappearance of any and all live robots from our scopes, suggests some greater force must be at work.”

“Sounds like we’d better be ready for anything, then,” Amy declared. She rose to her feet, and the others did the same. Bret faced the company at large.

“Joe, you talk to Gala,” said he. “Everybody else – meeting adjourned. Let’s go get a head!”

Finding Gala proved more of a challenge than Joe had anticipated. When he arrived at Nottingham Castle, where he’d expected she’d be, he found the great manse deserted and had to resort to using his psychic powers to locate her. Eventually he ran her to ground at a ruinous crossroads in one of the unrestored sectors, where she was standing with her back to him. Joe paused for a moment atop the pile of rubble he’d traversed and thoughtfully surveyed the tall and proud figure, clad in long black coat and scarlet-plumed black hat, her cutlass at her belt and her wild brown hair flowing past her shoulders. Our hero had forgotten, however, that she could sense him too, and without turning Gala said aloud:

“I was hoping you’d join me. How was outer space?”

Joe jumped down to stand before her. “That is a long story,” he replied, “and I fear not all of it will please you. But it surprises me to see you here, so soon after your violent encounter with Harbin. Is it wise for you to have made an immediate return to action?”

Gala made a characteristic dismissive gesture. “The same thing happened to Steam when he was in Nottingham’s past with you, and you’ll remember he was fighting-fit again mere minutes later. Granted, it takes more of a toll on a body of flesh and blood, but don’t worry about me. I’m ship-shape, or at any rate, fit enough for my task of today.”

“And what is that?” Joe inquired.

“The Next Four are searching for that Dimension Borg robot’s head,” was Gala’s reply, and Joe started with astonishment at once. Gala had frequently displayed an unsettlingly intimate awareness of The Four Heroes’ history and affairs, but now Joe wondered with greater fervour than ever just how much she knew. Was this simple coincidence, or had she somehow learned of the ulterior motives he and his comrades had discussed less than an hour ago? If she had, did that mean their quest was now a race between her team and his? Gala, in response to his expression, went on:

“There’s no need to look so amazed, Joe. Tracking down that head, or any other means of learning Dimension Borg’s whereabouts, remains the foremost priority for the defence of this world…and such matters are the Next Four’s duty now, even if you and your friends still refuse to believe in the Prophecy. It’s only natural we’d be going about this.”

For Joe, the question of whether Gala truly sought to keep the planet safe from their archenemy, or wished only to destroy him before he could impart to The Four Heroes the secrets he knew about her, hung ominously over her words. Then it occurred to him, with feelings of guilt, that surely he was no different to Gala as long as there were truths he himself was keeping from her? Unable to resolve these troubling thoughts, Joe felt it best to go on: “Then let us work together, Gala, as we have done thus far. Against our powers and skills united, the head we seek and those who harbour it cannot hope to elude us for long.”

“Splendid,” said Gala, with a satisfied nod of her own head. “And afterwards you can tell me all the bad news about yesterday, over dinner tonight,” she added, and Joe, thinking of Neetra, felt guilty again.

NEXT: 'SEARCH TERMS'